Railroad journal wedge



Dec. 7, 1965 D. G. THOMAS 3,222,111

RAILROAD JOURNAL WEDGE Filed May 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIGI 9 INV EN TOR.

Cad/mp Dec. 7, 1965 Filed May 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 23 74 FIG. 5 /4 /5 /7 20 o 0 0 I I /0 25" A2 /Z i 1 0 0 0 ,.Q g? 22 l3 3 i O C) O 2/1' I INVENTOR. By 6221714 fim recesses 16 in the upper surface of the bearing 3.

United States Patent 3,222,111 RAILROAD JOURNAL WEDGE David G. Thomas, Erie, Pa., assignor to Lord Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvama Filed May 24, 1963, Ser. No. 283,090 6 Claims. (Cl. 308-54) This invention is a railway journal bearing and wedge in which the Stresses are primarily taken by rubber in shear. The Wedge is locked to the hearing by keys which are depressed by the gravity load into depressions in the top of the bearing and are released when the load is removed.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a railway journal box, FIG. 2 is a top view of the box partly broken away, FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the wedge, FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the wedge, FIG. 5 is an end view of the wedge, and FIG. 6 is an end view of the journal box partly in section.

The conventional parts are readily identified, 1 being the railway journal box, 2 the journal, 3 a bearing with a bearing lining 4, and 5 a journal box cover held closed by a spring 6. The dust guard and the structure for lubricating the bearing are not shown. The foregoing parts are or may be of common construction.

In the assembly, the journal box is jacked up relative to the journal and the bearing 3 is set behind the journal collar 7. Preferably, the ends of the bearing have a relatively close fit between the journal collar 7 and a shoulder 8 at the opposite end of the journal, so there is little end play between the journal and bearing.

Loads from the journal box to the bearing, both laterally and longitudinally with respect to the car, are transferred by the wedge shown in detail in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. As there shown, the wedge comprises a body 9 of elastomer sandwiched between and bonded or anchored to a metal top plate 10 which fits against and receives load from the top of the journal box and a metal bottom plate 11 which rests on and transmits load to the top of the bearing 3. The top plate 10 has one or more holes 12 through which integral buttons 13 of the elastomer project. The metal plate 11 has registering holes 14 for metal keys 15 bonded to the underside of the buttons 13. In the unstressed position, the buttons 13 project above the upper surface of the plate 10 and the keys 15 have a slight projection below the lower surface of the plate 11. When the wedge is inserted, the projecting portions of the keys 15 fit into complementary When the journal box is lowered onto the journal, the buttons 13 engage the top surface of the box and are depressed, thereby pushing the keys 15 downward into the recesses 16 as shown in FIG. 1. When the journal box is lowered onto the journal, the gravity load is taken in compression by the body of elastomer 9 and lateral and longitudinal forces between the bearing and the journal box are taken by shear stress of the elastomer.

The top plate 10 of the wedge has projections 17 on opposite sides, one end 18 of which coopeartes with a stop 19 at the center of the journal box and the other end 20 of which cooperates with a stop 21 at the front of the journal box. By reason of these projections 17 and the associated stops, the top plate 10 of the wedge is positioned and effectively anchored to the top of the journal box.

The bottom plate 11 of the wedge has the usual hole 22 for the hook by which the wedge is removed from the box. The hole 22 is on the center line of the wedge, as are the openings 12 and buttons 13 of the wedge. The outer end of the bottom plate 11 is provided with a shoulder 3,222,111 Patented Dec. 7, 1965 ice 23 cooperating with stops 21 on the journal box. The relation of the shoulders 23 to the stops 21 i shown in FIG. 4 and also in FIG. 1. It will be noted from FIG. 4 that the stops 21 on the journal box leave an open space 24 at the center for the wedge removal tool and also providing clearance by which the wedge may be inserted into the box even though the buttons 13 project above the upper surface of the top plate 10.

Under normal conditions, all of the lateral and longitudinal thrusts on the bearing will be taken by shear in the body 9 of elastomer. Under extreme conditions, the shoulder 23 on the wedge may bottom against the stops 21 on the journal box, providing a positive restraint.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In combination with a railway journal box and bearing, a top plate receiving load from the top of the journal box, said plate and box having interengaging parts positioning the plate relative to the box, said bearing and its journal having interengaging parts providing relatively little end play, a bottom plate transmitting load to the bearing, a body of elastomer in load carrying relation between said plates and having upper and lower surfaces respectively anchored to said top and bottom plates, and means for keying the bottom plate to the bearing in order that the loads from the journal box to the bearing both laterally and longitudinally with respect to the car are transferred by shear stress of the elastomer.

2. In combination with a railway journal box and bearing, said box having a stop at the front, a wedge within the box between the top wall of the box and the bearing, said wedge having a top plate receiving load from the top of the journal box, said plate and box having interengaging parts positioning the plate relative to the box, a bottom plate transmitting load to the bearing and having a shoulder normally spaced from the stop and bottoming against the stop under extreme conditions to provide a positive restraint, a body of elastomer in load carrying relation between said plates and having upper and lower surfaces respectively anchored to said top and bottom plates, said top plate having at least one opening and said bottom plate having an opening below the opening in the top plate, said body having a projection extending up through the opening in the top plate in the unstressed condition in position to be engaged by the top of the journal box and to be forced downward by the load from the top of the journal box, a key anchored to said body below said projection in position to be forced downward by load from said projection, and said bearing having a recess for said key.

3. In combination with a railway journal box and hearing, said box having a stop at the front, a wedge within the box between the top wall of the box and the bearing, said wedge having a top plate receiving load from the top of the journal box, said plate and box having interengaging parts positioning the plate relative to the box, a bottom plate transmitting load to the bearing and having a shoulder normally spaced from the stop and bottoming against the stop under extreme conditions to provide a positive restraint, a body of elastomer in load carrying relation between said plates, said top plate having at least one opening and said bottom plate having an opening below the opening in the top plate, said body having a projection extending up through the opening in the top plate in the unstressed condititon in position to be engaged by the top of the journal box and to be forced downward by the load from the top of the journal box, a key anchored to said body below said projection in position to be forced the box between the top wall of the box and the bearing and having a shoulder normally spaced from the stop and bottoming against the stop under extreme conditions to provide a positive restraint, a body of elastomer in load carrying relation between the box and bearing, means for anchoring the body to the box, said body having an upwardly extending projection in position to be engaged and depressed by the load from the top of the box, a key anchored to said body below said projection in position to be forced downward by load from said projection, and said bearing having a recess for said key.

5. In combination with a railway journal and box, said box having a closure on its outer end and stops at the top of its outer end with an open space at the center, a wedge having a top plate receiving load from the top of the journal box, said plate and box having interengaging parts positioning the plate relative to the box, a bottom plate transmitting load to the bearing, a body of elastomer in load carrying relation between said plates and having upper and lower surfaces respectively anchored to said top and bottom plates, said top plate having at least one opening and said bottom plate having an opening below the opening in the top plate, said body having a projection extending up through the opening in the top plate in the unstressed condition in position to be engaged by the top of the journal box and to be forced downward by the load from the top of the journal box, said projection being of width to be insertable through said open space, a key anchored to said body below said projection in position to be forced downward by load from said projection and said bearing having a recess for said key.

6. In combination with a railway journal box and bearing, said box having a stop at the front, a wedge between the bearing and the top wall of the box, said wedge having a top plate having parts interengaging with the box to position it relative to the box, a bottom plate transmitting load to the bearing, and a body of elastomer in load carrying relation between the top of the box and the bearing and having upper and lower surfaces respectively anchored to the top and bottom plates, means for keying the bottom plate to the bearing in order that loads from the journal box to the bearing both laterally and longitudinally with respect to the car are transferred by shear stress of the elastomer, and said bottom plate having a shoulder normally spaced from and presented toward the stop on the box for bottoming against the stop to provide a positive restraint.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 977,692 12/1910 Zahn 308l84 1,904,007 4/1922 OBrien 30854 2,100,065 11/1937 Buckwalter 308-184 2,283,839 5/1942 Wright 308-184 2,793,087 5/1957 Hayes 30826 DON A. WAITE, Primary Examiner.

FRANK SUSKO, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A RAILWAY JOURNAL BOX AND BEARING, A TOP PLATE RECEIVING LOAD FROM THE TOP OF THE JOURNAL BOX, SAID PLATE AND BOX HAVING INTERENGAGING PARTS POSITIONING THE PLATE RELATIVE TO THE BOX, SAID BEARING AND ITS JOURNAL HAVING INTERENGAGING PARTS PROVIDING RELATIVELY LITTLE END PLAY, A BOTTOM PLATE TRANSMITTING LOAD TO THE BEARING, A BODY OF ELASTOMER IN LOAD CARRYING RELATION BETWEEN SAID PLATES AND HAVING UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES RESPECTIVELY ANCHORED TO SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PLATES, AND MEANS FOR KEYING THE BOTTOM PLATE TO THE BEARING IN ORDER THAT THE LOADS FROM THE JOURNAL BOX TO THE BEARING BOTH LATERALLY AND LONGITUDINALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE CAR ARE TRANSFERRED BY SHEAR STRESS OF THE ELASTOMER. 